LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University softball team split a double header Saturday afternoon, falling to Manhattan 15-10, before bouncing back to earn a walk-off 5-4 win in game two. The Broncs move to 7-12 on the season and 2-3 in MAAC play, while the Jaspers are now 5-14 on the year, and 1-1 in league games.
 
Rider got off to a strong start in game one, Keegan St. Cyr (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton) led off the bottom of the second with a walk, then two batters later, Abby Cruz (Corona, CA/Santiago) crushed a pitch to right center for a two-run homer to give the Broncs the early lead. Kiersten Buchanan (Holly Springs, NC/Holly Springs) and Aspen Wheeler (Lampasas, TX/Lampasas)  followed with back-to-back doubles to extend the lead to 3-0 before Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) hit an RBI single to give Rider a 4-0 advantage.
 
The Jaspers would get three runs back in the top of the third, but the Broncs struck again in the fourth. Buchanan led off the inning with a single, then stole second with one away. Stoeckel singled to put runners on the corners, then after Maddie Luedtke (Gibbstown, NJ/Gloucester County Institute of Technology) drew a two-out walk to load the bases, Emma Morgan (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) singled to left bringing home two to push the lead to 6-3.
 
Manhattan would add four in the top of the fifth to take a 7-6 lead, but it would be short lived. St. Cyr and Kendal Reda-Fehsal (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) led off the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back doubles to tie the game, then Cruz hit her second home run of the game to give Rider the lead back. Buchanan followed with a double, then after advancing to third on a wild pitch, she came in to score on a ground out putting the Broncs up 10-7.
 
Manhattan would respond in the top of the sixth with a decisive eight-run inning, that the Broncs were unable to respond to, giving the Jaspers the game one win.
 
The Jaspers carried the momentum into game two, getting on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Cruz led off the bottom of the second with a double to the wall in center, followed by a Reda-Fehsal walk, and Buchanan bunt single to load the bases with no outs. The Broncs brought in one run on an RBI groundout, but the Jaspers escaped without any further damage. The Jaspers added on a run in the top of the fourth, extending the Manhattan lead to 3-1.
 
In the fifth, St. Cyr drew a one-out walk, and Luedtke was hit by a pitch with two outs. Morgan followed with a run-scoring double, and Luedtke came in to score on a Manhattan error to tie the game. The Jaspers would reclaim the lead with a home run to lead off the top of the sixth.
 
St. Cyr got the Rider rally going again with a single to lead off the seventh. After being moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Luedtke double to drive in the tying run. Morgan added a single and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with one away. Cruz then came to the plate and delivered a hard-hit single to center, giving the Broncs the walk-off win.
 
Quotes & Notes
"It was not what we expected in game one. You score 10 runs, we should be able to win a game, so we have to tighten up our defense and our pitching. It was awesome to see how we stayed in game two, and fought back to take the win. We did what we've been talking about since day one, we focus on the small things and details. We can't think about what happened in the past and we just have to move forward. We're just confident no matter what pitcher we faced, we just have to find some consistency within ourselves. Hopefully this win carries over into the third game tomorrow." – Head Coach Davon Ortega
 
"I was just seeing the ball. I haven't really been seeing it well lately, but they were pitching me over the plate, and I just took advantage. In the second game, we focused on the defensive side, then we put our bats to use." – Junior Catcher Abby Cruz
 
- Stoeckel got the start in the circle in game one, throwing 4.2 innings and allowing seven runs on eight hits, she struck out five.
- Lily Ornelas (Hernando, FL/Trinity Catholic) came out of the pen and threw one inning, allowing seven runs on five hits, taking the loss.
- Madison Moran (Lafayette Hill, PA/Plymouth Whitemarsh) allowed one run on two hits in relief in game one.
- Gabi Rodriguez (Chula Vista, CA/Olympian) got the start in game two, pitching a complete game, and allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits. She struck out a pair.
- Cruz' pair of home runs give her three on the season and nine in her career.
 
Broncs By The Numbers
- Cruz and Buchannan led the Broncs with four hits each on the day.
- Morgan and Reda-Fehsal finished with three hits in the pair of contests.
- Wheeler, Stoeckel, Rodriguez, and St. Cyr each added two hits in the double header.
- Luedtke had a hit in game two.
- Cruz had five RBIs in the two games to lead Rider. Morgan added three.
- St. Cyr and Buchanan each scored three times in the double header.
 
Up Next
The Broncs close out the series with Manhattan Sunday at noon.